Florida Conservative

The Gulf's physical petroleum network is proving harder to paralyze than many expected. Yet insurance and freight costs are imposing extraordinary financial penalties on the ships and cargoes keeping that network operational. Meanwhile, the Black Sea is developing its own distinctive risk premium, with reported tanker insurance costs rising more than twelvefold and freight rates separating even from comparable Russian Baltic routes

Commercial systems react independently to risk. Those reactions can nevertheless reshape the battlespace in ways that subsequently influence military decisions.

Just last week, an attack injured a sailor aboard the Palauan-flagged MV Verbena, causing significant onboard fire and showcasing the group